Machine for automatically making sand cores



Sept. 29, 1959 R. F. LA BEAU MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAKING SAND CORES Filed Dec. 7, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 S INVENTOR.

15a Bea u,

RE JH L J, E?

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IN V EN TOR. fiusse Viz/b36011 United States Patent MACHINE FOR AUTOMATICALLY MAKING SAND CORES Russell F. La Beau, Dearborn, Mieh., assiguor to Sutter Products Company, Dearborn, Mich.

Application December 7, 1953, Serial No. 396,454

3 Claims. (Cl. 22-10) This invention relates to a machine for automatically making sand cores for use in foundry casting work.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a compact space-saving machine whereby the automatic filling of any number of core boxes with specified sand mixtures can be handled in a most expeditious and eflicient manner and with a minimum of operations, thereby not only reducing labor costs but very materially increasing the production of core units.

Another objectof my invention is to provide my device with a pair of sand fill hopper stations, one adjacent each side of a blower station with the stations being disposed in alignment with respect to each other, so that the lower faces of each are disposed in the same horizontal plane.

Another object of my invention is to provide my device with movable dual blow chambers for transporting sand mixtures, which chambers are supported on a substantially horizontal trackway located beneath the aligned hopper and blower stations, whereby such chambers can be simultaneously automatically moved back and forth from hopper to blower and blower to hopper, and in consequence of such actuation as one chamber is being filled with the sand mix from a hopper its companion chamber, located beneath the blower, is simultaneously therewith having its mix blown into a core box that has been automatically elevated into engaging position with the lower face of the chamber positioned beneath the blower.

Another object of my invention is that in providing my device with the dual blow or sand-mix carrying chambers, they can be alternately shuttled vto and from the blower station in a short straight line of travel, thereby permitting the blower station to perform its successive operations of core box blow filling in substantially rapid sequences in comparison with present day operations.

Another object of my invention is to provide my device with a pair of opposed sand fill stations, as aforesaid, and wherein a difierent type or composition of sand mixture may be fed to one such station while an entirely different mixture may be fed to the other station, so that from these opposed stations one blow chamber will obtain a supply of one type of sand mix while the opposite chamber will receive a supply of a different type. In consequence of this, the machine operator is thereby enabled to alternately carry on the automatic making of two totally different sand cores, which cores not only differ as to sand mixture but also as to shape and size, and this by utilizingthe same blower'for such operations.

Still another object of my invention, is to provide my device with a pair of blow chambers, as aforesaid, where only a very minor adjustment is necessary in the device to adapt it for the continuous alternate blowing of different sand cores and that would be to afiiix a different type of conventional blow plate to each blow chamber in order to the more eflectively permit the desired dispatch therethrough of the sand'mix from the respective chambers to the core boxes.

Patented Sept. 29, 1959 Further objects and advantages of my invention appear 'as'the description thereof proceeds.

, In the drawings Fig. 1 is a partially broken-away side elevational View of my device, I

Fig. 2 is a'fro'nt elevational view, partly insectiomd the structure shown'in Fig. 1, v p I Fig. 3 is a horizontal view'taken on the liiie'3 3'of Fig.4, I 1

Fig. 4 is a vertical view taken on the line of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal view taken on the line 5".-'5 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4. I

Referring now with more particularity to the drawings, the numeral 11 indicates the base of my machine, upon which base the corner upright supports 12, of which there are four, are secured. Rigidly secured, in any well known manner, to'the tops of said supports is an integrally formed head rnember13. The latter has formed therein the .air or fluid conducting passageways'14, which receiveair under a pressure of between and pounds through the port 15, the latter being suitably connected to an supply cylinder,'not shown. The said passageways lead to a central chamber 16, formed in the head memberl13, and conduct the air thereto for sand mix'blowing purposes presently to be referred to. Centrally positionedin chamber 16 is the verticallyidisposed blow chamber 17, which is provided at the lower portion thereof with the flange 18 that extends outwardly beneath the chamber 16 for abutting relationship relative thereto. Beneath flange 18 is an apertured plate 19 and immediately beneath the latter another apertured plate 20. These plates are secured together and to the flange 18 by a plurality of bolts 21. To the central portion of the upper surface of plate 19 there is firmly attached, by means of screws, an upstanding air deflector 22. 'Thus when the air pressure from chamber 16 is permitted to enter blow chamber 17 by way of the open top 23 in the latter, it travelsdownward through chamber 17 striking the deflector 22, thereby spreading and forcing the air through the divided passage'24 and the openings in the plates 19 and 2010 thereby obtain a greater diffusion of air beneath the blow chamber 17. e

The upper portion of .chamber 16 has rigidly secured thereto the valvesupporting frame'25. Said frame carries a reciprocating plunger 26' having a port closure 27 at its lower extremity. The upper extremity of .the plunger carries a valve member 28 that has a port closure 29 for opening and closing the air exhaust passage-30, which extends through plunger 26. vSupportingthe plunger 26 in frame 25 is a pair of flexible strips 31 and 32 with the former passing above and the latter beneath theport closure member 27, with the outer endsof the said strips being firmly secured in said frame. Additional reference to these valves hereinafter will be made in thefurther description of my device.

Formed in the header member 13, at each side of the chamber 16, are large vertically extending openings .33 and 34. These openings are in vertical and parallel relationship with 'each other and the blow chamber 17 and are provided for the purpose of suspending therein the hoppers or sand mix dispensing chambers 35 and 3 6. These chambers respectively have loosely fitted around the outer lower ends thereof rectangular rings 37 and 38. Each ring respectively is provided at opposite ends thereof with the upstanding keys 3939' and 40'-40'.. These keys are respectively adapted for loosefitting guiding'engagement' in the vertically disposed guideways :44 and 43 and 42 and 41 which are fixedly supported on the header 13. The said loose fitting engagement is provided for the purpose of enabling the chambers 35 and 36 to be shaken in order to free such chambers of sand mix there in. In addition, chambers 35 and 36 are provided at their respective upper ends with the outwardly turned flanges 45 and 46, which flanges have loose fitting engagements on the retaining studs 47, so as to also permit movement of the chambers 35 and 36 relative to the studs during the shaking actions aforesaid. Springs 48 aid in resiliently supporting the chambers on said studs. The aforesaid rings 37 and 38, having a loose fitting about the lower ends of the respective chambers 35 and 36, are thereby enabled to freely move up and down relative to the outer walls of said chambers, for a purpose subsequently to be referred to.

From the above description it will be observed that the lower openings out of the sand dispensers 35 and 36 and that of the blow chamber 17 are in a single substantially horizontal plane and, furthermore that the said openings are disposed in a short straight line relative to each other, the purpose of which will manifest itself from the further description of my device.

At a suitably short distance beneath the plane just mentioned (see Figs. 2 and 4) I provide a trackway that is composed of the rails 49, 50, 51 and 52. These rails are suitably supported by means of a plurality of depending brackets 53 that are bolted to header member 13. Rollably supported, for reciprocating travel upon said trackway, is the frame or carriage 54, which carriage is suitably provided with a plurality of wheels 55 for engagement in said trackway.

Interiorly of the frame 54 I mount, independently of each other, a pair of identical sand mix carrying chambers 56 and 57. These chambers, being confined by the frame 54 (Figs. 4 and are adapted to simultaneously move back and forth in a horizontal direction with said frame and, furthermore, because each chamber is separately connected at its opposite ends to frame 54 by means of identical vertically disposed keys 58 and keyways 59, (Fig. 5) provided respectively in the frame and chambers, a limited amount of vertical movement of chambers 56 and 57 is permitted.

Each of the chambers 56 and 57 is always open at the top and each respectively has bolted to its open top a plate 60 and 61. Each of these plates in turn has an opening to coincide with the open top of the chamber, but each plate, as will be seen in Figs. 4 and 5, extends laterally a considerable distance from the top of each chamber. The purpose of these extensions is to thereby provide alternately operable closure members for the bottoms of the opposed sand mix dispensing stations 35 and 36 whenever chambers 56 and 57 have been moved from thereunder.

It is the purpose of my invention to move chambers 56 and 57 back and forth on the trackways 49--5051--52 so as to position one chamber beneath a sand dispensing station 35 or 36 while the other chamber is simultaneously therewith positioned beneath the blow chamber 17 so that when the said chambers are positioned, for instance, as shown in Fig. 4, sand mix will be delivered from hopper 35 to chamber 56, while the sand mix already in chamber 57 will be blown out of it into a core box 62 removably positioned beneath the chamber 57. And, when the chambers 56 and 57 are reciprocated to the right, chamber 56 will be positioned beneath blow chamber 17 and chamber 57 beneath sand mix feeding hopper 36. Thus it will be seen that when chamber 56 leaves its position beneath the sand-mix dispensing station 35 and moves to position beneath the blower 17 that the plate 60 will be slid across the bottom of the floating ring 37, carried by chamber 35, to thereby close the mouth of the chamber and seal it against any further dispensing of sand mix from said chamber. In similar fashion, plate 61 and floating ring 38 sealingly close the mouth of chamber 36 when chamber 57 is moved away from it.

For the purpose of simultaneously reciprocating the carriage 54 and its confined chambers 56 and 57, there is connected to the carriage a piston 63 that is actuated in the cylinder 64, which cylinder is supported by brackets 65 that is suitably secured to header 13. The supplying and evacuation of fluid to and from said cylinder to move said members is effected in synchronized timed relationship with the ingress and egress of air through blow chamber 17 to either of the sand mix carriers 56 or 57, as aforesaid.

To the bottoms of said carriers 56 and 57 I respectively secure, in any well known manner, removable blow plates 66 and 67. These plates are perforated with a plurality of holes 68 through which the sand mix is blown into a core box 62. These holes may be of identical size and shape when the cores to be blown are identical in size and shape; but, where it is desired to blow cores of different types as to size and shape, then one hopper, say 35, may be filled with a sand mix of a certain specified type for the purpose of making sand cores of a certain size and shape and the other hopper 36 may be filled with a sand mix of an entirely different type to blow a core of an entirely different size and shape, then in such event blow plates 66 and 67, having blow holes of different but of the proper dimensions most suitably adapted for the safe and eflicient blowing of the dilferent cores will have to be employed. Thus the size of the blow holes of one such employed plate could difier materially from the holes of the other plate used. These plates are also provided with wire covered exhaust ports 69, (Fig. 2) which permit air to escape through the ducts 70 therein.

Beneath the reciprocating chambers 56 and 57, and supported on the base 11, is a vertically reciprocating table 71, which is actuated to and from elevated positions by means of piston and rod 72, carried by air cylinder 73, and the actuation of said table is automatically carried on in synchronized timed relationship with the reciprocating movement of chambers 56 and 57 and with the ingress and egress of air through the blow chamber 17 for the evacuation of sand mix from either of said chambers 56 or 57.

Upon the table 71 a rectangular shaped carriage 74 is mounted to move with the table. This carriage is provided with a plurality of identical cylindrical rollers 75, which are employed for the easy ingress and egress of core boxes 62 thereover. As this table and carriage are of the conventional type currently in use, a further detailed description thereof is not essential.

In the operation of my machine, which is controlled by a conventional control box and mechanism, not shown, but suitably connected thereto, when the power is turned on the chambers 56 and 57 are moved to one alternate position beneath a hopper 35 or 36 and the blow chamber 17, as for illustration, the position shown in Fig. 4. When this operation has taken place table 71, carrying a core box 62, on its carriage 74, is elevated into position whereby the top of box 62 is pressed into sealing engagement with blow plate 67 and the upward thrust of table 71 further results in the top of chamber 57 being pressed into sealing contact with plate 20 rigidly secured at the underside of blow chamber 17. When said sealing contacts have been effected the continuous supply of air pressure present in chamber 16 is automatically and immediately put to work to blowingly fill a core box 62 with sand mix and is accomplished in this fashion: Air is exhausted through conduit 76 from chamber 77 that is located immediately above diaphragm 31 and upon such evacuation of air the pressure of the air in chamber 16 bearing against the lower diaphragm 32 forces the port closure 27 upward and away from its seated position upon the opening 23 to blow chamber 17, thereby permitting air from chamber 16 to force itself through the opening 23 and thence downwardly into chamber 17 "wherein it proceeds downward rush into sand mix chamber 57 and wherein its pressure forces the sand mix from chamber 57 into core box 62. Immediately upon the filling of the latter the compressed air is reintroduced through conduit 76 into chamber 77 to thereby force valve closure member 27 to reseated position upon the opening 23 to blow chamber 17, thereby cutting oif the entry of air thereto from chamber 16 and simultaneously with this operation the air still in chamber 17 is evacuated therefrom through the exhaust passage 30, raising valve 29 for this purpose. This cycle of operations automatically takes place for each core box blowing operation.

With respect to the operation of port closure 29, actuation of such closure member is controlled by a diaphragm disposed interiorly of member 28, to which diaphragm the stem of member 29 is securely attached in any well known manner. When air pressure is admitted above such diaphragm the latter is forced downward thereby causing its attached port closure member 29 to drop and forcibly close passage 30; and, when such air is exhausted from above the diaphragm the air pressure in passage 30 bearing against the undersurface of member 29 thereby unseats the latter from the opening to such passage. Thus when air is admitted to blow chamber 17 for the purpose of blowing sand cores, as aforesaid, air pressure is simultaneously admitted to member 28 to thereby forcibly seat closure member 29 to prevent the escape of air through passage 30; but when the blowing operation is completed the air pressure is simultaneously therewith exhausted from above the diaphragm in member 28 to thereby permit closure 29 to become unseated and permit any excess air in chamber 17 to escape through passage 30.

Upon completion of each blowing operation aforesaid table 71 drops to its lowermost poistion for the removal therefrom of core box 62, with chambers 56 and 57 being moved by piston 63 to positions respectively beneath blower 17 and hopper 36; and, a new core box 62 having been moved to position on the carrier 74 of table 71, the same sequence of operations, as just described is carried out and these sequences of operations are repeated until the desired number of cores required are produced.

I claim:

1 In a machine of the character described comprising a vertically movable table, a header member spacedly disposed above the table, said member having integrally formed therein compressed air passageways, a centrally disposed blow chamber communicating with said passageways and a pair of vertical openings at opposite sides of the blow chamber disposed in horizontal alignment with each other, a shakeable hopper resiliently suspended through each opening, said hoppers and blow chamber having their respective lower extremities in horizontal alignment with each other, a trackway horizontally mounted beneath said chamber and hoppers, dual open top sand mix carrying chambers mounted for reciprocating movement upon the trackway, mechanism recirprocating the carrying chambers to alternately position each carrying chamber beneath the blow chamber While simultaneously therewith positioning a carrying chamber beneath a hopper, and open top core boxes borne by said table into and out of predetermined elevated sealing contact engagements with the carrying chamber positioned at the blow chamber.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1 wherein the carrying chambers are fitted with detachable dissimilarly perforated plate bottoms.

3. In a machine of the character described comprising a vertically movable table, a header member spacedly disposed above the table, said member having integrally formed therein compressed air passageways, a centrally disposed blow chamber communicating with said passageways, and a pair of vertical openings at opposite sides of the blow chamber disposed in horizontal alignment with each other, valve mechanisms mounted atop said chamber for controlling the ingress and egress of compressed air through the latter, a shakeable hopper resiliently suspended through each opening, said hoppers and blow chamber having their respective lo wer extremities in horizontal alignment with each other, a track- Way horizontally mounted beneath said chamber and hoppers, dual open top sand mix carrying chambers mounted for reciprocating movement upon the trackway, a dissimilarly perforated plate bottom detachably secured to each carrying chamber, mechanism reciprocating the carrying chambers to alternately position each carrying chamber beneath the blow chamber While simultaneously therewith positioning a carrying chamber beneath a hopper, and open top core boxes borne by said table into and out of predetermined elevated sealing contact engagements with the carrying chamber positioned at the blow chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 808,367 Hewlett Dec. 26, 1905 819,883 Hewlett et a1 May 8, 1906 1,595,600 Demmler Aug. 10, 1926 1,801,654 Blood Apr. 21, 1931 1,866,301 Goodlin July 5, 1932 2,259,768 Naylor et al. Oct. 21, 1941 2,680,889 Herrbruggen June 15, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 718,895 France Jan. 29, 1932 860,241 Germany Dec. 18, 1952 

